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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bat — the animal
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. charge — in control
  7. fine — all right
  8. rush — hurry
  9. charge — electricity
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. hand — help
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. object — an aim
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. object — a thing
  20. object — to protest
  21. kick — in football
  22. fine — high quality
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com